Fuel



Patented Mar. 23, 1925.

stares THOMAS MIDGLEY, JR., OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION, OF- DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ACORPORATION OF DELAWKRE.

FUEL.

No Drawing.

' and useful Improvements in Fuel, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

- combustion engines.

This invention relates to fuels, and more particularly to a fuel adaptedfor use in an.

internal-combustion engine.

One object of the invention is to provide a fuel consisting of anadmixture of hydrocarbons, alcohols and an ingredient adapted to cause ablending thereof.

Another object is to provide a fuel comprising an ingredient adapted tocause a blending of the alcohols and hydrocarbons, which ingredient isof such nature that comparatively small percentages thereof are capableof causing the. desired blending of comparatively large quantities ofalcohols and hydrocarbons.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thedescription thereof set out below.

Many eflorts have been made heretofore to provide some satisfactory andpracticable fuel capable of serving to supplement the available suppliesof hydrocarbon fuels, which hydrocarbon fuels now constitute theprincipal source of fuels for use in internal- As one such form of fuel,itdias been proposed to mix alcohol and gasoline, While chemically purealcohol and gasoline-are miscible in all proportions, alcohol containingeven a small percentage of wateris not, alone. miscible with gasoline inany proportion; It has been found, however, that certain compounds maybe added to gasoline and commercial grades of alcohol, such as 95% ethylalcohol, whichare said to cause a'blending thereof. In other words thereare certain ingredients, which when mixed with gasoline and commercialalcohols will cause those ingredients to mix in desirable proportions.All of the blending agents so 'far known to me consist of some compoundnot normally associated with either the gasoline or alcohol, each ofthese blending agents being some substance which must be introduced as aseparate and distinct agent.

Application filed February 2'8, 1920. Serial No. 362,139.

I have found that while ordinary gasoline, which normally consists ofsaturated C011]- pounds of the paraffin series, and commercial alcoholare not miscible in varying proportions, the so-calledcrackedgasolines", obtained by cracking oils in the production of motor fuels,which contain substantial proportions of unsaturated hydrocarbons,generally designated olefines, are readily -m iscible with alcohols.

Experience has shown that a cracked gasoline containing more than 10% ofunsaturated hydrocarbons, or olefines, is unsatisfactory in-operation,since the unsaturated compounds when present in such proportionspolymerize very readily, with attendant evils. Cracked gasoline normallycontains, as it comes from the still, about 16% of unsaturatedhydrocarbons. The proportion of the unsaturated hydrocarbons is incommercial practice cut down below 10% by the addition of extra ordinarygasoline, which is substantially free from olefines. And so in a fuelcomprising a mixture of cracked gasoline and-alcohol it is desirablethat the percentage of unsaturated hydrocarbons, or olefinesj, be keptdown below 10%. g l

A very desirable fuel may be obtained by mixing of a cracked gasolineand 50% of commercial 95% ethyl alcohol. Such a fuel will containsubstantially 42% of saturated paraffin compounds, 8% of unsaturatedcompounds, or olefines and 50% of 95% ethyl alcohol. If it is desired tohave a fuel containing more than 50% alcohol, the percentage ofunsaturated hydrocarbons would automatically be cut down inasmuch as theproportions of saturated and unsaturated compounds in a cracked gasolineare normally in a substantially constant ratio. The proportions ofalcohol and cracked gasoline relative to each other may be varied asdesired to secure a fuel having the desired characteristics.

While I have described the invention, more specifically, in connectionwith a fuel consisting of so-called cracked gasoline and 95% ethylalcohol, it is obvious that my invention is equally applicable to a fuelcomprising any mixture of an alcohol with saturated hydrocarbons andunsaturated hydrocarbons, adapted to function as a blending agent. IObviously other alcohols than ethyl 'alcohol may be used if desired.

While the fuel particularly described above, and the method of makingit, constitute preferred embodiments of my invention, other forms ofembodiments might be devised all coming Within the scope ofthe inventionas set out in the appendedclaim s.

V hat I claim is:

1. A fuel comprising an admixture of substantially 50% commercial ethylalcohol, and 50% of a cracked gasoline, said cracked gasoline consistingof saturated hydrocarbons and unsaturated hydrocarbons, or olelines inthe proportions of substantially.

84% and 16% respectively.

2. A fuel comprising an admixture of 50% commercial ethyl alcohol, 42%saturated hydrocarbons of the paraffin series and 8% unsaturatedhydrocarbons, or olefines.

3. A homogeneous motor fuel comprising alcohol; saturated hydrocarbons;and unsaturated hydrocarbons'adapted to blend alcohol with the saturatedhydrocarbons, the quantity of unsaturated hydrocarbons not exceeding byvolume 16% of the saturated hydrocarbons.

4. A homogenous motor fuel comprising commercial ethyl alcohol;saturated hydro carbons; and unsaturated hydrocarbons or olefines, thequantity of unsaturated hydrocarbons or olefines not exceeding by volume16% of the saturated hydrocarbons;

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

THOMAS MIDGLEY, JR.

